Capitol Reflections: 2025 Session, Issue 10

By: Idaho Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs

“Man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.” – President Ronald Reagan

Capitol Minute

To help our members be fully informed about the issues going on during the legislative session, there will be a short video each week in which our Governmental Affairs team highlights what is discussed in length in the Capitol Reflections Newsletter. We strongly encourage members to continue reading the newsletter to get the most information, but this video will help when you want a quick synopsis or to learn about the issues on the go.

Protecting Property Rights

One of the biggest challenges for landowners who are willing to allow recreational access to their property is how to deal with “bad actors” who don’t follow the rules and instead cause problems. In the past, when land was “open” to recreation, law enforcement has often been reluctant to issue citations when the rules of the landowner were not followed. This has led many landowners to simply withdraw permission and close their land to recreation.

To help protect property from damage and prevent landowners from resorting to cutting off access in the future, a group of motorized recreation organizations has introduced S1086. S1086 makes it clear that when landowners place restrictions on the recreational use of their property, that anyone who does not follow those instructions can be cited by law enforcement.

S1086 states, whenever “any owner of land gives notice of and imposes closures, restrictions, regulations, or prohibitions in relation to use of the land for recreational proposes, any person who violates such closures, restrictions, regulations, or prohibitions shall be guilty of trespass, punishable as provided in section 18-7008 (3), Idaho Code.”

If a landowner allows access, but only under certain conditions, they can provide notice by posting signs at gates, road or other entry points onto the land. The restrictions stated on those signs will then be mandatory on any person who enters.

S1086 passed the Senate on a vote of 18-16 and is now awaiting a hearing in the House Resources Committee. Concerns that were raised in the Senate and by some House committee members related to government land management entities misusing the penalties authorized by this bill. The sponsors are working with interested parties to craft language that will tighten up the bill to ensure property rights are protected, but government is not empowered to overreach.

S1086 is sponsored by Sen Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs). Farm Bureau supports landowners controlling how their land is used and strengthening property rights. IFBF supports S1086.

Update: Domestic Well Bill Advances

The House Resources Committee unanimously advanced S1083a this week, signaling strong legislative support for the bill. It now moves to the House Floor for full consideration in the coming days. If passed, these reforms to the domestic use exemption in state water law will help address Idaho’s ongoing groundwater challenges while ensuring fairness, water quality protection, and enforcement improvements. The Farm Bureau continues to support S1083a as a crucial step toward responsible water management in the state.

IFBF Policy #28 supports reforming Idaho’s domestic use exemption. IFBF supports S1083a.

S1133a: Strengthening Agricultural Protection Areas in Idaho

The Local Government Committee considered S1133a this week. The bill aims to refine Idaho’s Agricultural Protection Areas (APAs) statutes. This legislation builds on H608a, passed last year, which established the APA program to help landowners safeguard agricultural land from development pressures.

S1133a improves the APA application and approval process at the county level, ensuring clarity and efficiency. The bill was developed in collaboration with the Idaho Association of Counties to align with the needs of local elected officials who oversee APA designations. Key updates include:

Clarification that APAs do not alter county comprehensive plans or zoning classifications.
Creation of a dedicated APA map for county planning purposes.

A key provision of S1133a allows any agricultural landowner within county jurisdiction—whether inside or outside an area of impact—to apply for an APA. While some may question extending eligibility to landowners within an area of impact, several important factors support this approach:

Areas of impact remain under county jurisdiction.
County governments retain full authority to approve or deny APA designations.
An APA does not change land use—farmland remains farmland.
Idaho Code 50-222 protects agricultural and forest land (over five acres) from forced annexation without the landowner’s consent.

Farmers have the right to continue farming indefinitely, regardless of an APA designation or an area of impact status.

While not all APA applications within an area of impact may be approved, IFBF believes landowners deserve the opportunity to apply and present their case. Moreover, because APA applications involve a financial investment, the process should be fair and transparent.

IFBF Policy #143 endorses legislative efforts to protect agricultural land through voluntary agreements and incentive-based programs. S1133a strengthens the APA program by providing necessary clarifications for both landowners and local governments.

The bill passed out of committee and will soon be voted on by the full Senate. IFBF supports S1133a.

House Committee Reviews H395: Ensuring Growth Pays Its Own Way

Idaho’s investor-owned utilities are struggling to keep up with the rapid growth of large industrial energy users—primarily server farms and Bitcoin mining operations. These businesses, which contribute little to local economic development, are placing a massive strain on Idaho’s power grid while benefiting from low-cost hydro and fully paid-for transmission lines built by longtime ratepayers. The result? Rising energy costs for everyone.

H395 ensures that growth pays for itself by requiring new large electric consumers—those adding 10 megawatts or more in a year—to cover the costs of the infrastructure needed to serve them. Currently, utilities build new power generation and transmission at the expense of all ratepayers. H395 fixes this by requiring:

The utility to acquire new power for the new customer’s account, or
The new customer to secure its own power source.

For nearly 50 years, Idaho’s public utilities have followed a similar approach under Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) Large New Single Load policy. H395 extends this fair and established practice to investor-owned utilities, ensuring all energy providers operate under the same rules.

H395 safeguards existing ratepayers from covering costs for huge energy consumers, such as server farms, while leaving residential, commercial, irrigation, and most industrial users unaffected. It also allows these large customers to competitively source their power, fostering a more market-driven system and reducing reliance on subsidies.

As Idaho experiences rapid industrial growth, H395 is a crucial step toward maintaining fair energy rates. By closing regulatory loopholes, it protects Idaho’s families, farmers, and businesses from unnecessary rate hikes while reinforcing the state’s commitment to free enterprise.

The Idaho Farm Bureau finds the concepts in H395 compelling. Our fundamental beliefs and principles support free-market solutions, and IFBF Policy #96 endorses the idea that growth should pay for itself.

The bill passed out of Committee on a split vote and will soon be considered on the House floor. Farm Bureau appreciates the legislature’s review of H395 and supports its further consideration.

Wildlife Bills Advance, Become Law

S1011 soared out of committee this week with a unanimous vote to send it to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. It now heads to the floor where it sits on the third reading calendar, ready to be taken up by the full House. S1011 relates to having an agricultural producer sit on Idaho Fish and Game Winter Feeding Advisory Committees as well as requiring all members of the committee be from the district for which it is formed. IFBF Policy 65.10 supports S1011. We appreciate Rep. Josh Wheeler (R-Ammon) for sponsoring the bill.

S1012 and S1013 were also signed into law this week. Information about these two bills can be found in Week 3 of Capitol Reflections.

HJM4, the grizzly bear memorial, passed the Senate this week and copies will now be sent to Vice President Vance (since he is President of the Senate), House Speaker Johnson, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the congressional delegations of Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. This is very timely as comments on the new proposed grizzly bear rule are due Monday.

IFBF Legislative Intern - Brandy

My name is Brandy Ferguson, and I am currently a freshman at the University of Idaho, double majoring in Crop Science and Agribusiness. I discovered this internship opportunity through my Young Farmers & Ranchers club, which collaborates closely with the Latah County Farm Bureau. While my career goals may not lead me back to the Capitol, this experience has truly opened my eyes to the hard work behind the scenes of Idaho’s legislature.

Before attending the University of Idaho, I lived in a small town in Washington and was unaware of many issues affecting Idaho agriculture. Through this internship, I not only learned about the challenges impacting my future career field but also met the dedicated individuals working to address them. Witnessing the collaboration between Farm Bureau lobbyists and the Food Producers of Idaho was incredibly inspiring. I observed how they identified issues, presented their concerns to committees, and participated in floor sessions where these matters were further discussed and resolved. Watching these groups work tirelessly to solve issues and to show how important agriculture is to Idaho was inspiring to me.

I particularly enjoyed attending committee discussions, where I heard diverse perspectives and gained insight into what each representative and senator thought about the issues at hand. There were many times where I was able to listen to legislators tell personal stories and it was intriguing to learn more about them. Beyond understanding the legislative process, I also had the chance to meet with legislators individually as they discussed proposed bills and amendments with lobbyists. Speaking with them one on one showed me the importance of establishing relationships and networking, or as Braden Jensen from the Farm Bureau calls it, ‘fishing’.

Before this experience, I never fully appreciated how interconnected and personal the legislative process is. My favorite moments were hearing legislators share laughs and jokes during meetings — a reminder that, despite their official roles, they are human too.

This internship has been an eye-opening experience, and I am grateful for the lessons and knowledge I’ve gained. I know that what I’ve learned this past week will continue to shape my future endeavors in agriculture and beyond. I want to thank the Idaho Farm Bureau for this opportunity and I want to thank everyone I met this week for being so welcoming and helpful as I learned about the legislative process. This week has reinforced my respect for our legislators and lobbyists and the work they do to promote agriculture, and the role I play as a future agriculturalist myself.

IFBF Legislative Intern – Tom Daniel

What a great and very busy week. The Idaho Farm Bureau legislative internship was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had. I have been to the Capitol numerous times in the past years with several different groups. But to go and spend day after day running from one meeting to another put a whole new perspective on how it all works. I was able to say hi to all my district legislators plus a lot more that I know. I want to thank Russ, Braden, and Dexton for a great experience. They are true champions of the Idaho Farm Bureau.